Towel cabinet



T. B. "YLER TOWEL CABINET Jan. 3, 1933.

Filed March 13, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l JNVENTOR Tncv B. TYL 52 A rroewz rs- T. B' TYLER TOWEL CABINET Jan. 3, 1933.

Filed March 13, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N VENTOI? Tenor 5. 73 4 52 F Mum q ,4 TTORNEKS Jan. 3. 1933. T. B. T YLER 1,893,343

TOWEL CABINET Filed March 13. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 JNVENTOR TewcY 5. TYLEE A TTORNEKS Patented Jan. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mo! 3300!! m 01' 13min, IICH IGAN, ASSIGNOB '10 STEINER SALES COMPANY,

OI BALI LAID cm, UTAH, A CORPORATION OF UTAH rowan CABIN]?! Application fled larch 13, 1980. Serial Ho. 485,480.

In the operation of a cabinet of the continuous web type, difliculty has been experienced in making suitable disposition of the loose soiled portion of the towel when the end of the supply is reached, the user has pulled the last wipin length over the delivery feed device, and t e primary towelwindingoperation has been completed.

Unless the cabinet is equipped with some means for making suitable disposition of this soiled section of the towel, as by a supplemental winding, it will depend below the cabinet in an unsightly manner and children or persons not familiar with cabinets of this type might use the soiled portion again and use might be continued to such an extent as to cause infection.

It is desirable, therefore, that provision be made so that when the clean supply of towel is exhausted, the used portion will be drawn up to a position where it will be (practically invisible and cannot be readily use again.

The object of my invention therefore is to provide a simple, inexpensive attachment for a standard type of cabinet, which, without addin materially to the expense of construction 0 the cabinet, will positively and expeditiously withdraw the soiled length of towel from view at a predetermined point in the use of the cabinet, as when the user has withdrawn the last wiping length of web.

A further object is to provide an attachment made automatically 0 rative at a certain time as when the supp y of clean towel is exhausted, for winding up and withdrawin the soiled portion from view.

' Jther objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally of various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accom anying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a towel cabinet embodying my invention showing the su ply of clean towel ready for delivery to t e user;

Fi re 2 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the mechanism has been released to withdraw the soiled portion of the towel from view, the normal position being indicated by dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the cabinet with the door in its open position;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the towel winding roller;

Figure 5 is a detail view partiall in section showing the normal position of t e controllin mechanism when the cabinet is in use;

igure 6 is a detail view showing the position assumed by the control yoke and the releasing lever when the supply of towel is exhausted;

F i re 7 is a detail view showing the lockmg 0g and the releasing lever in their normal position;

Figure 8 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the lever has been moved to its releasing position and the do disengaging from the sleeve of the roll; an

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Figure 7.

In the drawings, 2 represents the outer section or casin of the cabinet having a front door 3 provided with the usual mirror 4. Within this casing is a supporting frame 5 for the operating mechanism of the cabinet. This frame is pivotally sup orted at 6 on each side of the cabinet, an is adapted to swing forwardly on its pivots throu h the open front of the cabinet when the oor is in open position, being normally held within the cabinet by a spring actuated lock device 7. The lower portion of the frame is ada ted to support a supply of clean towel 8. feed roll 9 having a suitable roughened surface is mounted in the frame above the clean towel supply preferably near the front of the cabinet and a similar roll 10 is arranged in par allel relation with the roll 9 preferably in the rear thereof and slightly above its level. The usual driving connection 11 is provided between these rolls for simultaneous operation thereof. A guard 12 preferably extends between the rolls preventing possible contamination of the roll 9 from the periphery of the roll 10 which contacts with the soiled towel. A suitable lock device 13 on the outside of the cabinet is adapted to be 100 2 aeeaaa manipulated by the user for the purpose of releasing the rolls and allowing one com lete revolution of each roll to deliver a pre etermined length of clean towel and wind up a correspon g len of soiled towel. A pinch roll 14 is pre erably mounted in guide slots 15 in the inner frame of the cabinet and is so positioned with respect to the feed roll 9 that downward pull of the towel web stretched from the su lply over the pinch roll and thence downwar y through an opening 16 in the bottom of the cabinet, will tend to draw the pinch roll against the surface of the feed roll with suflicient pressure so that both of the rolls will be driven by frictional contact of the towel web with the feed roll and the pressure of the pinch roll thereon.

The towel web, after being passed down through the opening in the bottom of the cabinet, is exten ed up through a passage 17 in the rear of the inner frame and after contacting with suitable guiding and tensioning means 18 and 19, is wrapped around a take up roll 20 that is slidable in slots 21 in the inner frame and ada ted to rest by avity upon the surface 0 the winding gal ad roll 10. The normal 0 ration of roll 10 performs the primary win in of the towel.

The user stan ing in front of the cabinet and manipulating the lock. device 13 to release the rolls, will pull on the towel and deliver for this use a redetermined length of the clean web and t is operation will repeated until the end of the supply is reached. v

I will now proceed to explain in detail my invention which forms the subject matter of this case, for automatically retracting or withdrawing the soiled portion of the towel from view when the supply is exhausted, or whenever the windin mechanism is released, and elfecting a supp emental winding of the soiled towel.

Turnin now to Figure 4, the take up feed roll is in t e form of a cylinder having heads 22 and 23. An annular flange 24 13 provided at one end outside the head 23 and overlaps the hub 25 of a sprocket wheel 26 that is rigidly secured to the end of the roll shaft 27 by suitable means such as the pin 28. The driving connection 11 extends from the s rocket 26 to a similar sprocket on the dehvery feed roll 9. The ends of the shaft 27 are journaled in suitable bearings 29 in the side walls of the frame and one end of a helical spring 30 coiled loosely around the shaft 27 is secured at 31 to the head 22 and the other end of said spring is suitably secured to the shaft at 32 by bein preferably thrust into a socket therein. e convolutions of the springeare loose on the shaft so that the roll may revolved a limited distance independently of the supporting shaft and the spring laced under tension to return the roll to its normal position when released.

This is an idle movement the reverse of its forward winding revolution. The head 22 has a flan 33 rovided with a series of internall orme notches 84 spaced apart aroun the inner surface of the flange. I have shown in Figure 7, three of these notches madztfrreferably by recessin the inwardly turn edge of the flange an il these notches are equally spaced apart and there may be any suitable number of them. A disk 35 is secured on the shaft between the bearing 29 therefor and the head 22 and a lockingdog or detent 36 is. pivoted at 37 intermediate its ends to the inner face of the disk 35 and this detent is provided with a lug 38 that is adapted to enter an one of the notches 34 and temporarily 100 the roll. A s ring 39 normal] holds this detent in its 10c ing position, t e notches and detent forming in effect a ratchet for the roll, allowin 1t to be revolved backwardly with the sha stationary against the tension of the sprin for a limited distance, but looking the re] to the shaft to revolve forwardly with it in the other direction in the normal operation of the cabinet. As indicated in Figure 1, the rolls 9 and 10 normally revolve counterclockwise in the operation of the cabinet and the take u roll 20 revolves clockwise to wind the soile towel thereon. The manner of mounting the roll 10 on the shaft 27 as explained above, permits a limited idle rotation of this roll in a backward or clockwise direction for the purpose of putting the spring 30 under tension and setting the roll so that when the end of the clean web is reached, as will be hereinafter explained in detail, the roll 10 will be released and the tension or ener stored in the spring on the shaft will revo vs the roll rapidly in its normal forward direction of movement and immediately pull the loose (is ending portion of the soiled towel into t e cabinet or up against the lower wall thereof in a position where it cannot be used, and will be practicall invisible. Any suitable mechanism.

may employed in connection with the roll for temporarlly looking it when it is set by idle rotation in a clockwise direction and for tripping the locking means when a predetermined point in the delivery of the towel is reached. I prefer, however, to provide the means whic I will now describe in detail as it is a sim le, positive mechanism for accomplishing t e desired result.

The detent has an outer end 40 between the flange of the head 22 and the disk 35 and a lever 41 has an end 42 adapted to be moved into the path of the part 40 of the detent and tilt it on its pivot to disengage its lug from the notch of the roll 10. The lever 41 preferably has an offset 43 therein pro'ectmg through a slot 44 in the side wall 0 the frame and gnvoted at 45 to the lower portion of the rame. A guide strap 46 is preferably provided on the frame to prevent outward movement of the lever in the slot but allowing it to oscillate freely therein. The lever 41 has an extension 47 below its pivot terminating in a fork with an upper arm 48 and a lower arm 49.

A yoke 50 has a U-shaped central portion provided with a weight 51 and is journaled at its ends in the side walls of the frame and the end adjacent the lever 41 is provided with a cam 52 which, when the lever is in its normal u right position, as indicated in Figure 5, wi engage the arm 48 and swing the lever 41 to its release position as indicate by full lines in said figure. The yoke in this position will bear on the web of clean towel, an extension 53 being provided at the middle portion of the yoke for this purpose.

The inner section or frame of the cabinet preferably has a slot 54 in the rear wall thereof adapted to receive the extension 53 when the yoke drops down to a horizontal position as indicated by full lines in Figure 2. When thismovement of the yoke takes place, the cam 52 will swing down and engage the arm 49 of the lever 41 and thereupon the upper end of the lever 41 will be swung forwardly to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5. It will then be in the path of the detent 36 and will swing it to the position indicated by full lines in Figure 8 when the roll has revolved a suflicient distance to bring the detent in contact with the end of the lever. This will release the roll and the spring therein having been previously put under tension by revolution of the roll in a clockwise direction, the movement of the detent to its release position will allow the power of the spring to revolve the roll and efi'ect a supplemental winding up of the loose depending loo of soiled towel from the position indicate by dotted lines in Figure 2, to that indicated by full lines in the same figure. When the soiled towel has been drawn up in this way, the web will be practically concealed from view and cannot be grasped and used again. In this way the winding device not only adds to the appearance of the cabinet, withdrawing the soiled web from view, but also prevents possible infection of anyone by the use of a soiled section of towel.

The winding roll is usually revolved in its clockwise direction the desired distance to put the spring therein under tension by the attendant grasping the soiled end of the towel before removing the roll from the cabinet and pulling downwardly thereon, thereby drawing a few lengths of the web out of the cabinet until the roll is revolved idly a sufficient distance in the opposite direction to its normal movement to insure suflicient energy bein stored up in the helical spring to revolve the roll in the opposite direction when the locking dog is released. It will be clearly understood from an inspection of Figure 2, that when the attendant grasps the soiled towel and pulls downwardly thereon, suficient pressure will be transmitted through the convolutions of the soiled towel to the roll 10 to revolve it in a clockwise direction until the actuating spring is put ander the desired tension. If preferred, or should the soiled towel be removed from the cabinet without first putting the helical spring under tension, the attendant may reach through the open front of the cabinet, grasp the roll 10 and revolve it toward the rout of the cabinet until the spring 30 is sufficient] tensioned. Generally, however, it is pre erable to obtain this adjustment of the roll by pulling downwardly on the web of soiled towel before the roll thereof is removed from the cabinet.

As plainly shown in Figure 1, the oscillating yoke is held in an upright position between the upwardly extendin web from the towel supply and the depen ing portion that is carried through the bottom of the cabinet and the yoke will remain in this position until the end of the towel supply is reached when as shown plainly in Figure 2, it will drop by gravity to the horizontal full line position causing the cam 52 thereon to actuate the lever 41 as explained above. This yoke is swung out through the front of the cabinet when the door is open to depend below it in an idle position having during its movement swung the lever 41 to its idle position thereby permitting backward movement of the winding roll against the tension of its spring.

I prefer to provide fiat steel springs 55 in the rear of the inner section or frame to prevent the clean towel roll, when it is comparatively small and nearly exhausted, from crawling out under the weighted yoke, the tension of these springs tending to hold the rolled web toward the front of the cabinet. These springs are preferably held by their tension within the frame of the cabinet and may be readily removed whenever desired.

In loading the cabinet the yoke normally hanging vertically below the cabinet, will be raised to a position within the cabinet to rest against the towel web when it is carried up around the pinch roll. When the web has been stretched down through the cabinet to form the loop of the desired length and thence to the take up roll in the upper rear portion, the door ma then be closed and the weighted yoke will be held in this vertical position until the towel supply is exhausted.

In various ways the details of construction herein shown and described may be modified and still be within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a towel cabinet, towel delivery and winding instrumentalities having a driving connect1on between them for simultaneous movement, said winding instrumentality havin a reverse movement independent of said de ivery instrumentality and provided with a forward actuating means energized by such movement, a detent for holdin said winding instrumentalit in its reverse position an means adapte to be released at a redetermined period in the use of the ca inet for tripping said detent.

2. In a towel cabinet a soiled towel winding roll, and means for 0 rating it, a take up roll whereon the web o soiled towel ma be wound for contact with said windin rol to be actuated thereby, said winding ro normally having a counter-clockwise revolvin movement to 0 rate said take u roll an also having a limited revolution in a clockwise direction, means put under tension by such clockwise movement of said roll, a detent for locking said winding roll and holding said means under tension, and mechanism for tripping said detent at a predetermined period in the use of the cabinet to allow a rapid winding operation of said wind ing roll whereb a S01 ed normally ex osed loop of towel we may be wound on sai take up roll and concealed from view.

3. In a towel cabinet, delivery and winding towel rolls havin a driving connection between them for riving said winding rolls from said delivery roll, a sup ort for a clean towel su pl wherefrom a we of towel may be stretch to said delivery roll, a take up roll whereto the web of soiled towel may be stretched from said delivery roll, said winding roll having a limited revolution in the opposite direction to its normal winding movement, a spring put under tension by such op osite movement of said roll, a detent for hol ing said roll with said spring under tension, and mechanism automatically operative at a predetermined period in the use of the cabinet when movement of said delivery roll has ceased for releasing said detent and allowing said spring to revolve said winding roll, for the purpose specified.

4. In a towel cabinet, a soiled towel winding roll, a take up roll whereon the web of soiled towel may be wound with its convolut ons in Contact with said winding roll, said winding roll having means whereby it may be revolved in one direction to operate said take up roll and also revolve in a reverse direction, means put under tension by the revolution of said roll in said reverse direction to return it to its normal position when released, a detent for locking said roll in its adjusted position with said means under tension, a lever for tripping said detent and a yoke having means or moving said lever to its release position at a. predetermined period in the use of the cabinet.

5. In a towel cabinet, a soiled towel winding roll, a take n roll whereon the web of soiled towel may be wound with its convolumesses tions in contact with said winding roll, said winding roll having a revolving movement in one irection to operate said take up roll and also having a limited movement in the reverse direction, means whereby said windthe soiled towel in said take up roll, means put under tension by the revolution of said winding roll in and reverse direction for also operating said take up roll, a detent for normally locking said windin roll during its reverse movement a inst t e pressure of said tension means an mechanism for tripping said, detent to allow the rapid windin movement of said roll and the withdrawal 0 the exposed towel within the cabinet.

6. In a towel cabinet, a soiled towel winding roll and a driving connection therefor, a take up roll whereon the soiled towel may be wound with its convolutions in contact with said winding roll, said windin roll havin a revolving movement in one direction b t e operation of said driving connections an also having freedom of revolution in the opposite direction, a spring put under tension b the revolution of said roll in said opposite irec tion, a detent for normally locking said roll in its adjusted position with sa d spring under tension, a lever adapted to be moved into the path of said detent for tripping the same and releasing said roll, means normally in an upright position within the cabinet and adapted to drop by gravity to a horizontal position and move said lever to a release position at a predetermined period in the use of the cabinet.

7. In a towel cabinet, a pivoted member normally held substantially upright, a soiled towel winding roll having a forward winding movement and a reverse idle movement, a take u roll whereon the soiled towel' may be woun during the forward movement of said winding roll, a forward drivin mechanism for said roll, means energize during the reverse idle movement of said winding roll, a detent for holding said winding roll against the tension of said means, and a detent releasing device actuated by said pivoted member when it is allowed to fall to a substantially horizontal position.

8. The combination with a revolving memher having a forward soiled towel rimary winding movement and a reverse id a movement, and towel delivery mechanism for operating said member forwardly, of a spring put under tension by such reverse movement, a detent for holding said member and said spring under tension and a releasing device automatically izlperative under certain conditions of towel elivery for trip ing said detent, whereby said member will be revolved forwardly to efiect a su plemental soiled towel winding while sai delivery mechanism is stationary.

9. Atowelcabinet having an open front and ing roll may be normally driven to-wind up III a support for a clean towel supply, a member pivoted between said sup ort and open front and substantially uprig t in its working position, a towel delivery means whereto the web of towel may be stretched from said supply in the rear of said pivoted member and from said delivery means downwardly in front of said pivoted member, a soiled towel winding means whereto the web of towel may be stretched in the rear of said supply, mechanism for operating said towel winding means to effect a primary winding of the soiled towel. said winding means having a reverse or backward movement and means put under tension by such movement, a detent for normally holding said winding means when moved backwardly and a detent tripping device actuated by the movement of said pivoted member to release said winding means and effect a supplemental winding of the soiled towel.

10. A towel cabinet having an open front, a weighted member normally supported in a substantially upright position, a cam mounted on said member, a lever having a forked end to receive said cam. a soiled towel winding roll, a take up roll whereon the soiled towel may be wound for contact with said winding roll to effect a primary winding, said winding roll having a reverse or backward movement and a spring put under tension by such backward movement, a detent for normally locking said winding roll against the tension of said spring, said lever being normally out of the path of said detent and having one of its arms in the path of said cam to move said lever into the path of said detent when said weighted member is re leased from its upright position.

11. A towel cabinet having an open front and a support for a clean towel supply,a member pivotally supported between said support and open front and substantially upright in its normal position. towel delivery and winding rolls mounted in said cabinet and having a driving connection between them, said delivery roll being above said towel support whereby the web of clean towel may be stretched upwardly thereto on the inner s de of said pivoted member and thence downwardly on the outer side thereof to form a loop below the cabinet, a take up roll whereon the web of soiled towel may be wound from said loop. said winding roll contacting with the soiled towel and having a movement in one direction with said delivery roll to effect the primary winding of the soiled towel on said take up roll and having also a limited movement in a reverse direction when said delivery roll is stationary, means put under tension by the reverse movement of said winding roll, a detent for holding said roll against the tension of said means and a releasing device for said detent actuated by the inward movement of said pivoted member from its upright position to permit the supplemental winding action of said winding r0 12. A towel cabinet having an open front and a support for a clean towel supply, a pivoted member mounted in said cabinet adjacent said open front, towel delivery and winding rolls mounted in said cabinet and having a. driving. connection between them, said delivery roll being so positioned with respect to said towel support that a web of clean towel may be stretched thereto and thence downwardly through the bottom of said cabinet to form a loop below the same, a take up roll whereto the depending loop of towel may be carried in the rear of said support, said take up roll being supported adjacent said winding roll and actuated thereby to efiect a primary winding, said winding roll having an independent backward or reverse movement, a spring put under tension by the reverse movement of said winding roll to actuate said roll and efl'ect a supplemental winding action, a detent for said roll, a releasing lever having .a forked end and said pivoted member having a cam thereon positioned to engage the arms of said fork alternately and oscillate said lever to its releasing and non-releasing positions, whereby when said pivoted member swings. to a predetermined point in said cabinet, said winding roll will be released and a supplemental winding of said take up roll efi'ected.

13. In a towel cabinet, a winding member having a movement in one direction to efiect a primary winding of the soiled towel and also having a limited reverse idle movement, means made operative by such idle movement to again operate said member in said one direction and effect a supplemental winding operation, a ratchet mechanism for holding said member during its reverse movement against the power of the means for efiecting said supplemental winding, and means for releasing said member at a predetermined period to effect such supplemental winding operation.

14. The combination with means operated by the towel user for delivering a length of clean towel and simultaneously winding up a length of soiled towel, of mechanism automatically wound up by a pull on the clean toweling and which automatically becomes operative when the clean towel supply is exhausted and delivery by the user ceases for effecting a supplemental operation of said winding means to wind the loose end of the towel.

15. The combination with means operated by the towel user for delivering a length of clean towel and simultaneously winding up a length of soiled towel,of means normally in contact with a downwardly hanging portinn of the towel web and'by it held from operation but becoming operative when said hanging portion of the clean supply becomes exhauste and spring mechanism released by the movement of said means for effecting a supplemental winding operation.

16. The combination with means for delivering a length of clean towel and winding up a len th of soiled towel by a pull on the towel, o mechanism into which energy may be stored preliminary to such deliver for effecting a supplemental movement 0 said winding means, and a device operative when the clean towel is exhausted for releasing said mechanism in which the energy has been stored to cause said supplemental winding movement.

17. The combination with a revolving member having a forward soiled towel primary winding movement and a limited reverse idle movement, means energized by such reverse movement for efiecting a supplemental forward winding movement of said member, means for holding said member against the power of said energized means and a releasing device automatically operative under certain conditions of towel delivery for tripping said holdin means whereby said member will be revo ved forwardly to effect a supplemental winding operation.

18. The combination with means'for delivering a web of towel, of a device adapted to contact with a towel web which may be stretched to said delivering means, a roll whereon a web of soiled towel may be wound, a winding member having a forward movement to revolve said roll, said winding member also having a limited reverse or backward movement and means made operative by such backward movement for effecting a supplemental forward movement of said winding means, mechanism for temporarily restraining the supplemental forward movement of said winding means, and said device havlng a movement at a predetermined period in the delivery of the towel for actuating said restraining means to release said windin member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of March, 1930.

TRACY BROOKS YLER.

DISCLAIMER Janu 3, 1933. e roit, Mich. TOWEL CABINET.

Sales ompa'ny. Hereb enters this disclaimer t th is in 2111: f0 lfiwing words to wit: 0 at part of the claim m said specification which T e combination with means operated b the towel us f lengfih of clean towel and simultaneously windin up a length :f s ile il iaba dil o i meat? automaticallywound up by a pull on t e clean toweling and which alitoma 10a y ecomes operative when the clean towel supply is exhausted and delivery y the user ceases for effecting a supplemental operatlon of said winding means to wind the loose end of the towe [Oficwl Gazette Jane 5, 1984.]

. Patent d ted isclauner filed May 17, 1934, by the assignee, Steiner hanging portion of the clean supply becomes exhauste and spring mechanism released by the movement of said means for effecting a supplemental winding operation.

16. The combination with means for delivering a length of clean towel and winding up a len th of soiled towel by a pull on the towel, o mechanism into which energy may be stored preliminary to such deliver for effecting a supplemental movement 0 said winding means, and a device operative when the clean towel is exhausted for releasing said mechanism in which the energy has been stored to cause said supplemental winding movement.

17. The combination with a revolving member having a forward soiled towel primary winding movement and a limited reverse idle movement, means energized by such reverse movement for efiecting a supplemental forward winding movement of said member, means for holding said member against the power of said energized means and a releasing device automatically operative under certain conditions of towel delivery for tripping said holdin means whereby said member will be revo ved forwardly to effect a supplemental winding operation.

18. The combination with means'for delivering a web of towel, of a device adapted to contact with a towel web which may be stretched to said delivering means, a roll whereon a web of soiled towel may be wound, a winding member having a forward movement to revolve said roll, said winding member also having a limited reverse or backward movement and means made operative by such backward movement for effecting a supplemental forward movement of said winding means, mechanism for temporarily restraining the supplemental forward movement of said winding means, and said device havlng a movement at a predetermined period in the delivery of the towel for actuating said restraining means to release said windin member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of March, 1930.

TRACY BROOKS YLER.

DISCLAIMER Janu 3, 1933. e roit, Mich. TOWEL CABINET.

Sales ompa'ny. Hereb enters this disclaimer t th is in 2111: f0 lfiwing words to wit: 0 at part of the claim m said specification which T e combination with means operated b the towel us f lengfih of clean towel and simultaneously windin up a length :f s ile il iaba dil o i meat? automaticallywound up by a pull on t e clean toweling and which alitoma 10a y ecomes operative when the clean towel supply is exhausted and delivery y the user ceases for effecting a supplemental operatlon of said winding means to wind the loose end of the towe [Oficwl Gazette Jane 5, 1984.]

. Patent d ted isclauner filed May 17, 1934, by the assignee, Steiner 

